Beautiful Things In My South Florida World!

Many moons ago, as a newcomer to south Florida, I was fascinated with the site of palm leaves swaying gently to the balmy ocean breezes, exotic landscapes bursting forth with wonderful tropical foliage, trees, and shrubs in all shapes and sizes. Smaller plants serving as ground cover blanketed the well-kept flower beds, it all seemed equally interesting to me. Everything was new and exciting!

One variety of plant that especially caught my eye was a mysterious, multi-colored plant which seem to be growing everywhere. They were all around the neighborhood yards, and shared favored spots at local businesses, and community parks too!

As I learned to find my way around the Fort Lauderdale area, I sited them everywhere.(like when you buy a new car and then you see one just like it everywhere you go) As I visited the doctor's office, the local drug store, schools, and even several restaurants, there they were showing off their leaves of many colors!

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Florida is full of lovely, beautiful things and I am going to focus on one of the things I love best. The beauty of the Codiaeum Variegatum. Commonly known as the Croton.

These beautiful multi-colored plants grow very well here in south Florida. We have had several varieties growing in our yard for many years. They are very hardy plants and grow with little care.

I bet you didn't know that Crotons are sometimes called by the old-fashioned common name, Joseph's coat. (a biblical reference to Joseph's coat of many colors in the Bible)

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These brightly colored plants are actually evergreen shrubs native to the Pacific Islands. These plants have been enjoyed by the Pacific Islanders for many centuries, such as the the Moluccan Islands, between the Philippines and New Guinea, and not from the Malay Peninsula, as it has been commonly reported.

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The Dutch naturalist, G.E. Rumphius, first formally studied them prior to 1690. He gave them the name Codiaeum after the Malasian name for codebo.

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Along came, Carl von Linne in the year of 1762 and decided to apply the common name "croton" after an ancient Greek City,named Croton. (I din't know this, did you?)

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The vivid and variable colorations of the leaves, give the Crotons their much desired popularity. Did you know that the yellow and green colors of the Brazilian flag are said to have originated from the Croton plant colors? (Wow, something else I didn't know)

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I was in a hurry to grab a bite of lunch while out running a few errands today and you won't believe it! I sighted three Croton plants growing next to the Checker's picnic tables.

Just my luck, forgot my trusted little camera! I'll stop by again soon and post my first official Croton sighting for my lens readers. Hey, maybe, everyone can vote on which sighting has the pretties Croton shrubs! Just a thought, let me know what you readers think? Feel free to let me know about your Croton sightings too! Don't get arrested taking pictures of your neighbor's yard without their permission! Ha!

Beautiful things in nature are all around us, take time to look!

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Here's a list of Croton varieties by name.

ANDREANUM: (Canned Sunshine) Large, yellow leaf,shading orange-red with age.

AUREO MACULATUM: Small myrtle-shaped,green leaves,spotted yellow.

C.I.CRAGIN: Long,bright green leaf,white zone along mid-rib.

DELICATISSIMUM: "Golden Thread", A miniature form of Picturatum with curly leaves.

DISRAELI: Oak leaf form with green and yellow leaves, becoming orange-red with age.

DORMANUTANUM: small, curved leaves, dark red and bronze-green

ETHEL CRAIG: medium sized leaves, blotched with yellow and pink.

EXCURRENS: Thick, straped leaves, dark read and broze green, red mid-rib.

FACTUM: Broad leaf, green and yellow, no red; very showy.

ILLUSTRIS: Odd, three-lobbed leaves, green and yellow, mid-rib protruding.

INTERRUPTUM: Like "Picturatum", but some leaves divided into two or more parts.

JOHANNIS: Long, narrow leaves, center and margins light yellow.

KATONI: (Maculatum Katoni) Green leaves, partly tri-lobed, spotted creamy-white.

LONG LEAF YELLOW: (Porter`s Unknown) long narrow, dark green leaf, blotched yellow.

LYRATUM: Long narrow tri-lobed form green and bright yellow, never red.

MAJESTICUM: Narrow leaves, very long, dark green, spotted red and yellow.

MORTII: A tall growing variety, with leaves veined yellow, sometimes all yellow.

MRS. FRED SANDERS: Large oak leaf, center and lobes splotched brilliant yellow.

NESTOR: Broad leaf, similar to Earl`s Court, veined and spotted yellow and red.

NOBILIS: Small lancolate leaf, green and yellow turning dark red with age.

PICTURATUM: Long, narrow leaves, yellow mid-rib; bright red with age.

PRINCE OF WALES: Long, odd shaped irregular leaves; green and pale yellow.

PUNCTATUM: Small fine narrow leaves, profusely spotted with yellow.

QUEEN VICTORIA: Large long dark green leaves, veined and mottled red.

RAINBOW`S STARLIGHT: (Mrs. C. O. Liller) A very dark green long leaf spotted rose spots.

REX: Long narrow leaves somewhat spiral, veined and mottled yellow turning red with age.

RUBRUM COMPACTUM: A very dwarf compact grower of narrow leaf type red and green.

RECURVIFOLIUM: Broad recurved leaves mottled red, yellow and green.

SPIRALE: A small dark green and corkscrew-shaped leaf.

SPLENDENS: Semi-oak leaf form, mottled yellow, turning red in the sun.

STEWARTII: Yellow veins and margin, mid-rib and petioles red. The most cold-resistant.

SUNRAY: Long narrow linear leaves, yellow never turning red somewhat curled, twisted.

SUPERBA: Long very narrow leaves, almost hair-like. Green and yellow.

TORTILIS: (RED CORKSCREW), Narrow spiral leaves, a brilliant dark red.

VEITCHII: Large, long leaves veined and mottled yellow. Flashing pink.

Yes, another Croton sighting to report. I was driving down Lyons Road in Coconut Creek when I spotted them.

Let's see where I find the next one!

This is great, I didn't have to leave home to see my third official sighting since starting this lens. Of all the places, right in my own Florida room, sitting in front of my television set!

There they were right in front of my face. I spotted them in a scene on Burn Notice. You could see them in the background just behind Michael Westen, (the main character of show) while he was speaking with his mother, Madeline Westen. Did any of you Burn Notice fans see them? This series is about a burned spy living in Miami and you will see lots of lovely tropical foliage on this show.

Croton Trivia question.

Did you know that the Croton plant has at least seven names per
plant?

References: http://www.croton-mania.com/American_Crotons.html

I'm now on my fourth Croton sighting report. While zipping along in my little automobile, I spied a lovely display of Crotons on Sixty Second Street near the Executive Airport in Fort Lauderdale. They were prominently displayed in all their glorious beauty in front of a business complex.

I'll keep you posted, next Croton sighting forthcoming....where do you think it will be? Any guesses folks?

Okay, it's getting crazy now, I'm starting to see Crotons in my sleep! Just kidding, I'm not quite to that point just yet! However, I did see a few of them growing in the parking lot at Jax, a restaurant on Powerline Road in Fort Lauderdale. Stopped in for a bite of barbecue while running errands in that area. Just as I pulled into the parking space, viola, there they were, right in front of the car! Yes, sighting number five is official!

A man named Pliny W. Reasoner-(1863-1888), moved from Illinois to Florida in 1882 and settled close to Manatee. With the help of his younger brother, (Egbert N. Reasoner) they established the Royal Palm Nurseries under the name of Reasoner Brothers. Pliny communicated frequently with directors of botanic gardens and plant enthusiasts and was able to introduce many tropical and semi-tropical exotic plants in his nursery business.

He later became the horticultural commissioner in charge of the sub-tropical exposition at Jacksonville, Florida, 1887-1888. He also served as commissioner in charge at the Cotton States Centennial Exposition at Atlanta in 1888. The Reasoner family distributed many exotic plants throughout Florida, which included the vividly, colorful Croton plant! The Reasoner Family still owns and operates their nursery business in Florida located in Manatee County, near Bradenton.

Now you know how the Croton plant found it's way to Florida!

Yes, it's amazing, you can even find these multi-colored beauties hanging out in front of a business complex in Deerfield Beach. Check out the photo below. Oh, by the way, can you spot me taking the photo in the background? He, he, he....Croton sighting are so much fun, had to make a u-turn to get this photo but it was worth it! What do you think?

Crotons, are in the same family as the poinsettias, the euphorbiaceae family, and are in the genus codiaeum, with the species name of variegatum.

These colorful plants have been popular in Florida landscapes for a verylong time, and if they are displayed correctly, they can make wonderful, and attractive additions to the landscape.

When grown in full sun, most crotons show their brightest and most vivid colors. Careful placement in the landscape ensures that these beautiful, lovely plants compliment the design, and not distract from it.